By Michael Land and John Dunford
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Key Takeaway: Russia has failed to compel the withdrawal of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) from the areas subject to the 22 OCT Russo-Turkish agreement on Northeastern Syria. The 22 OCT agreement requires the YPG to withdraw 30 km from the Turkish border. YPG forces did withdraw from a few locations but even those withdrawals exploited a loophole: they left behind Kurdish internal security forces not technically subject to the agreement. Russia is now conducting joint patrols with those Kurdish forces west of Qamishli after falsely claiming the full YPG withdrawal from the zone per the agreement. Meanwhile, Turkish-backed forces have continued to push south and east against the YPG and regime forces that deployed to support the YPG. Finally, US forces conducted a separate joint patrol with Kurdish internal security forces east of Qamishli.
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